A nurses' badge and medal led to a PhD

My blog describes how ill health forced me to change my career, and develop a passion in nursing history. 

I trained and worked at The London Hospital, in London. I worked for many years mainly as a District Nursing Sister, both in the East End, Brighton, and Sevenoaks. After taking early retirement because of ill-health, I became an amateur genealogist and soon developed a keen interest in the history of nursing. Whilst researching military and civilian nursing career of Mary Pinsent, the recipient of a London Hospital nurses badge, I decided that I wanted to become more proficient at writing up my research. In 2013 I tentatively started an MLitt in Family and Local History via distance learning with the University of Dundee. I loved studying again and as my postgraduate course came to an end, I wanted to continue my research further.

I had also had a Maidstone Typhoid Medal which was awarded to another London Hospital trained nurse. As I live near to Maidstone, I was easily able to visit the county archives and soon became fascinated with the 1897 Maidstone typhoid epidemic. I found a news article which listed all the nurses, who received a medal for volunteering in the epidemic. During my research I found that many other nurses had also worked there, but had not been awarded a medal. For my master's dissertation I researched the social class and training of nearly 300 nurses who worked in this epidemic. I was intrigued that a disproportionate number had trained, or were still working at 'The London' under the matron, Eva Lückes, and that they were from a higher social class than many of the other nurses. During my training I had lived in the Luckes nurses home for a year, yet I knew very little about her. So, my fascination with Eva grew, and in particular that Florence Nightingale, her friend and mentor had referred to her as a 'Matron of Matrons'. I wondered whether Eva was a 'matron maker', and what class Eva's many matrons were from.

In April 2018 I commenced my doctoral research into Eva at the University of Huddersfield. This was a huge personal challenge for me, and there were many times that I felt daunted, but I so enjoyed it. My supervisors, nursing historians Professors Christine Hallett and Janet Hargreaves were brilliantly supportive and encouraging. I am so pleased that I took the leap and continued studying, and it was great to celebrate at my graduation last autumn.

And yes, I did show that Eva was indeed a matron maker, but that she did not select these future nursing leaders by class alone. During her 39 year tenure as Matron of The London Hospital Eva trained over 474 nursing leaders, including Dames' Ethel Becher and Maud McCarthy - both military Matrons-in-Chief during the First World War, as well as many civilian nursing matrons including Anne McIntosh, a Matron of St Bartholomew's Hospital, London.

I am now enjoying delving into other areas of Eva's life as I slowly write her biography.

[Images: Maidstone Typhoid Epidemic Medal and London Hospital Badge to Mary Pinsent. (c) Sarah Rogers 2023.]